Even if Aunt Jemima hadn't been cancelled a few years ago, I'd probably be officially switching to…read morereal maple syrup after this excursion. One of my cousins has a bit of an obsession with natural sweeteners and scheduled a trip to White Meadows for us last weekend. It was a bit of a drive from our Finger Lakes Airbnb that involved a literal border crossing, but honestly was worth the trek. I wasn't sure what to expect beyond a deluge of maple leaf signs/flags, but I definitely left with an appreciation of the insane amount of work required to make this without using mass-produced corn syrup. We'd scheduled a tour, subsequent syrup tasting and charcuterie board for a 1:30pm start time. Not knowing what drama we might encounter at the border (there was absolutely none - deliciously uneventful; this isn't the border anyone gets particularly riled up about), we got here super early and had ample time to look around the gift shop. I barely considered the implications of the tariffs and didn't bother buying any maple syrup - understandably when I went to the farm's website later, it indicated they're not shipping to the US right now. That decision will haunt me for weeks and maybe months to come. Our guide was Nathan, who was an absolute superstar. I can't recommend this guy highly enough. He was engaging and knew how to talk about the science and concepts behind maple syrup and its cultivation on the farm in a way that was easily digestible but also very in-depth and informative. We were in a pretty inquisitive group, and he fielded a myriad of questions ably; I also liked that once or twice, he didn't know the answer and just said that - sadly a rarity in this day and age. But that didn't happen very often; Nathan knows maple syrup. The tour consists of a 10 to 15-minute discussion in one of the prep rooms near the gift shop (where most of the equipment and technical terminology is broken down), followed by a 10-minute tractor ride to the woods on the other side of the property to the tree-tapping area where the majority of the tour takes place, followed by a ride back to the starting point and a five-minute tasting of the four syrups made on the farm. One piece of constructive feedback - there were several young children there who were honestly a bit of a distraction. This is probably school age kid friendly but there were some very antsy toddlers (and even an infant) who just weren't old enough for this. I'd put a disclaimer up on the website that this isn't really appropriate for pups that young so the parents know ahead of time not to bother booking it. It is really wild seeing how much goes into creating maple syrup on a mom-and-pop farm like this. The intricate weaving of the taps/tubes throughout the forest leading to a storage tank out of site, and seeing how aggressive you have to be to take advantage of the very narrow window that sap can be harvested? Had no idea. If nothing else, you'll definitely come away from this being blown away by the syrup trade and the immense work required. You just never think about this stuff when you're at the diner pouring (not real) syrup onto your pancakes. The tasting and charcuterie were really good too - if you're already here, I'd spring for the charcuterie so you can sample the syrups and assorted meats/cheeses on a grander scale than just the tasting. The only annoying part were the yellowjackets constantly trying to get in on the fun (which I found out in Canada are more commonly referred to as wasps). I honestly have no idea how they can fix or alleviate that issue since by definition you're putting sweet/sugary stuff out on picnic tables, but might be worth troubleshooting down the line. Absolutely would recommend if you happen to be in the general Upstate NY area and have your passport handy. But make sure you actually buy the syrup there - I have no idea when I'm going to get a chance to sup on the Golden grade of syrup again.

Had such a great experience here! We got the full charcuterie experience and we it was so good. The…read morestaff was sooooo friendly and such a cute little farm. Would highly suggest

Literally a Hersheys chocolate heaven!!…read more Not just the brands top selling candies I love .. Mr Goodbar but in sizes not found in a regular store! There's also fresh sweets: cookies (made of dreams), cupcakes and more!! Pick one, two or three and get a bundle deal!

Whenever we are in Niagara Falls Canada this is a must go to store. We always seem to see…read moredifferent candy and items when we come here. Today was a cooler day so we opted not to get a shake. Besides candy, they have sweet treats and shakes/ice cream. This is a great place to go in the summer to beat the heat. And you can take a picture with the hershey kiss guy. Employees are around to help you look for anything you might be looking for. Store is connected to a few shops which is very convenient when looking around as a tourist.

Yum yum yum! Best tarts ever. You can't go wrong with the butter tarts. We tried a few and loved…read morethem all. Staff is friendly and helpful. They are on queen street which is very convenient when staying at nearby hotels like 124 on Queen. Place is cozy and smells amazing. This is a must stop when in NOTL!

While walking around quaint Niagara on the a lake, we stopped for some dessert. We had a few…read moretoffee cookies and a cherry tart. The cherry tart had a nice balanced cherry flavor. It was not too sweet or tart. The cream was a perfect pairing in the tart. The toffee cookies, were okay.. a little too,soft for our liking and you couldn't really taste the toffee bits. The shop has some nice things, worth a stop. The young lady behind the counter was nice, but seemed uninterested in answering questions. A little surprising given the quaintness of the shop. Worth a stop for something sweet! The baked good smell alone is worth it!

Gift shop in Clifton Hills. This one also sells various candies and chocolates. Typically,…read moreoverpriced tourist trap type sundries otherwise. Staff was friendly, and its a convenient stop in Clifton Hills.

High end tourist / souvenir shop. I purchased a hoodie for my dog along with other accessories and…read moreteas. Store was clean and the selection was great. They even sold Crocs here. Everything was great until I went to the register to check out. I paid for my items once, received confirmation from my bank via text at 8:51pm. The cashier insisted that the store didn't receive the transaction and to charge my card again. He retrieved what appeared to be the Supervisor, who insisted again to charge my card and that the text from the bank wasn't sufficient evidence of me paying. Against my better judgement while have my child begging for these items, I did indeed charge my card again. Especially after being assured if I emailed the Manager, it will all be sorted out. I charged again at 8:59. Ultimately the store received my money twice. I was refunded the next day, after emailing the Manager to sort everything out. I was pleasantly surprised at how this was resolved. The only thing I will say is that the workers and the women from accounting who called me all said, this happens often. Here's a tip, get the POS system looked at so another customer doesn't have to experience this.

I wasn't interested in any of the adult items, so I skipped those altogether, definitely not…read morenecessary for me. But I did check out one of the stores downstairs (you have to go down some stairs to get there). I ended up using the bathroom, which I really appreciated, it was clean and easy to access. That made my visit much more comfortable. The shop itself was full of all the classic touristy Canada stuff you can imagine. Honestly, nothing caught my eye enough to buy, but if I ever needed a gift for someone visiting from Canada, it would be a convenient spot. Just not my thing. Overall, no shopping for me, but that bathroom alone makes this a spot I'd use again. Might be a bit of a secret bathroom gem. So... that's cool.

It's not a trip across the border if you don't make a stop at the Duty Free store! This one is…read morelocated in a very convenient spot right by the main tourist district in Niagara Falls on the Canada side. It's a standard duty free store that's well organized and stocks all the greatest hits of shops like this: perfume, Canadian souvenirs, cigars, toys, candy and snacks, and lots of liquor! There are a few handbags and sunglasses too. There's a nice selection of Canadian wine and spirits, and most of the major brands are well represented (Grey Goose, Absolut, Johnnie Walker, and all sorts of beer and more). In fact, a bottle of Wayne Gretzky's cream liqueur or a pack of mini bottles of Niagara-On-The-Lake Ice Wine would make awesome gifts for friends and family back home. I'd say the majority of the store is dedicated to booze and perfume / cologne. Pro tip: make sure you use the restroom before leaving, because the border crossing can notoriously take a LONG time to get across. The bathrooms were pretty dirty the night I visited, but I am guessing that's because of the sheer volume of visitors that come through the doors. This is quite a popular tour bus stop. This shop has a huge parking lot that overlooks the falls (so be sure to go take some pictures before you leave)! You cannot make any purchases here unless you are on your way back into the United States, so take note. The parking lot road leads directly to the bridge and there's no place else to go. Purchasing here works like a standard duty free shop: you make your purchase, they record your license plate, then you drive around to a pick-up window to collect your goods. The road leads you straight over the bridge from the Canada to the U.S.A., so don't even think about being able to turn back into Canada from the store! They take both Canadian and American money, which is cool. It's a great way to get rid of some foreign currency before you head to the U.S. They will give you change in either currency, just ask for what you want. I always love browsing Duty Free stores and although I purchased nothing, it was fun to stretch my legs and look around. They are open every day from 7 am - 11 pm.

Gift and specialty shop in Niagara-on-the-Lake [ON Canada]…read more I found plenty of affordable, cute items here to gift back home. It was a good thing they were decently priced because as I started to count my fingers on how many family members and co-workers I wanted to buy gifts for they started to add up quickly. When I try to turn up... my wallet says hold up! LoL! They had the most amazing selection of fudge, so many flavors including the Ice Wine fudge... I did not buy any, I was afraid of my sugar skyrocketing. but, wait! they have more than just fudge. They sold Maple products too from pure maple syrup to maple cookies to maple flavored coffee and more! Purchased a few of those maple syrup in the maple-shaped glass containers. So cute! Btw, their homemade fudge are made in copper kettles, the old fashioned way. The ambiance was the aroma of fresh fudge. I tried the ice wine chocolate and bought a bar. Ice wine is a dessert wine made from grapes frozen on the vine. Really good! It was fun looking around this shop. Great service! The fragile items I purchased were wrapped individually very carefully. If I ever return to Toronto I'll be making my first stop here and the store next to it (or was it two doors down?). Review #3054

My Toronto friends insisted on visiting this store, saying they have the best fudge ever, and there…read moreare always samples available. Did someone say samples? lol So in we went. The samples were tiny but divine. Of COURSE we had to buy some fudge! (This is a VERY DANGEROUS store). I chose half a slab of the maple fudge and half a slab of the cookies and cream fudge. Both were amazing but the maple was really phenomenal. I also got some large caramel blocks, half of which were enrobed in dark chocolate, and the other half in milk chocolate. (I gave these as gifts but was told they were fabulous). In addition to the many, many flavors of fudge that they make in-house daily, they also have lots of other sweet treats: jars and jars of gummies and penny candies and chocolate raisons or nuts, hard candy sticks in all sorts of flavors and colors, hard candies in decorative tins, licorice and All-Sorts, etc. I felt like a kid in a candy store here. Literally. And I loved it!

This is a dangerous place for me: Everything looks so goods!…read more More than beautiful presentation, the cakes, cookies, meringues and croissants are full of flavor! They're really works of art! Cakes can be decorated for special occasions at no extra cost.

Great experience, the pistachio eclair was excellent as well as the mini pecan "pie" as well…read more Highly recommend!!! Great and friendly customer service

Cute shop with great food…read more Kind staff. Washrooms/bathrooms located at back of the gift shop. The lunch we ordered was delicious. View of the Niagara falls sipping on some great adult drinks made the experience even better. We are outside and they have indoor seating as well. Recommend adult drinks Niagra River Juice and Barking Squirrel beer.

This is a review of the restaurant only, not the attached gift shop…read more I've eaten here on a regular basis for a number of years. The business is family owned and operated and all of the staff are very friendly. The food is fairly priced and is reminicent of any other family diner you'd come across.